Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Leading indicators up in November
The Index of Leading Economic Indicators, a widely watched gauge of future economic activity, rose in November, reversing a five-month trend, a private research group reported Monday.

Court hears arguments in IBP, cattleman case
MONTGOMERY, ALA. - The cattlemen argued the jury's verdict should be reinstated. IBP argued that their actions were legitimate. The appeals court judges argued that the written briefs on the case weren't clear.

Crude oil drops as cold snap short-lived
Oil futures dipped below $46 a barrel Monday as traders assessed what appeared to be a short-lived cold snap in the United States, where cold weather and tight heating oil supplies helped drive prices sharply higher last week.

Final shopping weekend slow
NEW YORK - A much-hoped-for sales bonanza for the nation's retailers appeared not to materialize on the last weekend before Christmas, despite an abundance of deals on toys and apparel.

SBC unit to buy Yantra for $170 million cash
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SBC Communications Inc. said its Sterling Commerce unit will buy privately held Yantra Corp., which makes supply-chain fulfillment-software applications, for about $170 million in cash.

Efficiency Got Ran Over By A Reindeer
Let's boil this down: Gary's Heating & Air sells the most Carrier units in the area. Ironically, since 1978, Gary's focus has never been to sell the most units - but to be the best in the industry. This dedication has led to customers who experience a high satisfaction level. And that has led to referrals from those clients.

Home Sweet Home Is Seville Estates
There are an estimated 6.5 million older Americans needing help with the tasks of daily living. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, that figure will double by 2020. These figures are probably no surprise, as your loved one may be among this group. However, the question remains: What do you do about it?

Pupil vs. teacher: Part Two
DES MOINES, Iowa - No matter how often it happens, any basketball game with Bob Knight on the other bench is a big deal to Iowa coach Steve Alford.

Big 12 Men: Mizzou rallies past Indiana
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Linas Kleiza scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half and made four free throws during the final 55 seconds, helping Missouri overcome a 17-point deficit in a 56-53 victory against Indiana on Sunday.

KU's Simien has surgery
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas power forward Wayne Simien will be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left thumb Monday evening.

Area Colleges: EASTERN NEW MEXICO 79, ST. MARY'S 41
HONOLULU - Vasha Adams recorded her second straight double-double, and four West Texas A&M players scored in double figures as the Lady Buffs defeated Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 64-52 in the Hoop-N-Surf Tournament at Kilauea Gym on Sunday.

Book helps teach kids about giving
NEW YORK - Many children head into the new year with toy boxes filled to their rims thanks to the generosity of friends and family over the holidays. Those new dolls, cars, trains and games might provide a unique opportunity to teach kids about the pleasure of sharing with others.

Read documents before signing
DEAR HELOISE: Please remind your readers of the importance of reading documents before they sign them. Here is an example:

DEAR ABBY: Man can lend hand to brother
DEAR ABBY: I just read the letter from "Able but Unwilling in Alabama," whose mother and sister are urging him to "lend" money to his spendthrift brother. "Able" said he and his wife had always lived frugally and have saved diligently, while his brother and his wife lived far beyond their means. You responded that if "Able" was comfortable with his decision, he wouldn't have written to you.

Fox considering 'Reunion' pilot
Fox is on the verge of ordering a drama pilot called "Reunion" that would follow a group of high school friends over 20 years - in 20 weeks of episodes.

Skins game has been around for centuries
NEW YORK - There is a handbag on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that is stitched out of jaguar fur and embellished with the animal's head. It is part of the new exhibition "Wild: Fashion Untamed" in the Costume Institute.

Sales parties no fun for woman
DEAR ABBY: I would like to share my pet peeve with you. It's being invited to "sales parties" for kitchenware, beauty products, etc. I can't afford to spend money at these so-called parties because I have three children to feed.

Heloise: Store wine glasses stem down
Dear Heloise: I was just reading an article about the proper way to store wineglasses. I always stored them with the stems up. But I have recently been reading about wine, and most wine guides will tell you to store them with the stem down so that stale air, etc., doesn't get trapped in the glass and give it another odor prior to pouring in your wine. - Carolyn Russett, Hyannis, Mass.

Reunions
The 60TH ANNIVERSARY IWO JIMA VETERANS REUNION will be Feb. 17-20 at the Hilton Lafayette in Lafayette, La.

Dr Gott: Symptoms of heart problems may vary
DEAR DR. GOTT: I've just seen Bill Clinton interviewed on (the Oct. 28) "PrimeTime." He recently had bypass coronary surgery, and analyzed the symptoms that bothered him: primarily, chest "tightness" that struck him during exercise and - later - shortness of breath during trivial levels of exercise.

Panhandle People: Amarillo man earns academic scholarship
TY PARKER of Amarillo was awarded a Freshman Academic Scholarship from the mayor of Alva, Okla., Arden Chaffee, during the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Foundation's annual scholarship awards ceremony. The scholarship is awarded to students who had an ACT score of 21-25, and a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0.

Prevent Freezing Pipes
With cold weather predicted for the Texas Panhandle this week, Scottco, an Amarillo plumbing, heating, air and electrical firm, offers the following tips to help prevent and treat frozen pipes.

Carriage business remains brisk
A Saturday night horse carriage accident led some Amarillo residents Sunday to question whether they wanted to continue with their holiday rides.

Lake Meredith permits available for sale
FRITCH - Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Superintendent Karren Brown announced Monday that 2005 boat permits at Lake Meredith are available for purchase.

Pagent Break
Jimmy Velasquez reads "Follow the Star All the Way to Bethlehem" to his 1-year-old daughter, Riley, on Saturday during a break from "The Letter Home," the Christmas pageant at Paramount Terrace Christian Church.

Silverton slates Christmas meal
SILVERTON - A Christmas dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the school cafeteria in Silverton. This dinner is for anyone in the community who does not have plans to be with family members on Christmas Day.

Reach Out...Volunteer! of the day
Volunteer Activities: She investigates situations relevant to the child's case and reports her findings to the Court and CPS, offering suggestions she determines is in the best interest of the child. She has been volunteering since May 2004.

Randall moves ahead with projects
Randall County's plans for expansion are in the works and next year will see openings of a new extension building, a new fire station and the start of renovations to the Wal-Mart building.

Call to Action: Harrington Cancer Center
Harrington Cancer Center needs volunteers who would like to sew and make turbans for the patients. The center also has a need for help in other areas. Call (806) 359-4673, Ext. 111 or (800) 274-4673.

Parcells stays hesitant about changing QBs
IRVING - Bill Parcells is having a difficult time deciding if he's ready to start one of his young quarterbacks, even though the Dallas Cowboys have two games left in a losing season.

Colts win; Manning one short of mark
INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning couldn't get a record-setting touchdown pass against Baltimore's rugged defense. But he got the Indianapolis Colts a victory.

Letters To The Editor: Christmas not safe at Safeway
As most of us hunker down for the annual attack on Christmas, the Washington Post recently carried a story of labor union outrage over Safeway stores remaining open on Christmas for the first time in history.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT - Potter County - County Judge: Arthur Ware, 500 S. Fillmore, Amarillo 79101, 379-2250.

Editorial: Gold standard shines in area
School districts in the Panhandle got an early Christmas present last week - one earned by students, teachers and faculty. The Texas Education Agency handed out Gold Performance Acknowledgements in 11 categories, and many schools across the Golden Spread shined.

Editorial: Monday Briefing
The good . . .THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Once again, here's proof for the naysayers who think a single vote doesn't count.

Dallas paper finds evidence of TAKS cheating
DALLAS - Dozens of Texas schools appear to have cheated on the state's redesigned academic achievement test, casting doubt on whether the state's accountability system can reliably measure how schools are performing, a newspaper investigation found.

President renews call for immigrant worker plan
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday renewed his call for a guest worker program for immigrants seeking employment in the United States, saying the Border Patrol shouldn't be chasing "goodhearted people who are coming here to work."

GI bound for Iraq loses custody fight
FORT WORTH - A North Texas soldier who will deploy to Iraq early next year is furious that he recently lost custody of his son because of his military obligations.

Lawmakers to seek changes to CPS
AUSTIN - Two-year-old Diamond Alexander-Washington was beaten to death. Two-year-old Michael Russell died, malnourished. Daisy Perales, 5, suffered head trauma and died once she was taken off life support.

Area Colleges: Lady Buffs win opener in Hawaii
HONOLULU - Vasha Adams recorded her second straight double-double, and four West Texas A&M players scored in double figures as the Lady Buffs defeated Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 64-52 in the Hoop-N-Surf Tournament at Kilauea Gym on Sunday.

Lady Buffs rout NW Missouri 71-50
HONOLULU, Hawaii - The No. 21-ranked West Texas A&M Lady Buffs closed the first half on a 17-10 run Monday and beat the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats 71-50 at the Hoop-N-Surf basketball tournament.